FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – An Educational and Behavioral Problem in Times of New Communication Forms
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – An Educational and Behavioral Problem in Times of New Communication Forms

Summary/Abstract: FOMO – the anxiety that we will miss out on something – is a new social problem related to the destructive use of new media. FOMO aroused researchers’ interest with the development of the Internet and social networking sites. Indeed, it can be considered as one of the aspects of Internet addiction. People experiencing FOMO want to be up to date and, at the same time, experience anxiety about 1) activities in which their friends participate, 2) information their friends know before they do 3) the purchases of their friends. FOMO can lead to the impression that we are missing out on various satisfying events that others are experiencing. This type of anxiety correlates with low self-esteem, feelings of sadness, envy, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and it worsens concentration and memory, which can have negative consequences for education. FOMO also worsens sleep and can reinforce dangerous driving habits. Research conducted on a sample of 500 Internet users from Poland indicates that 17.6% of the respondents have a strong indications of FOMO and that it is slightly more intense in respondents under the age of 35 and in women. FOMO symptoms correlate with personality traits and the frequency of unlocking the phone and checking social media on the phone and computer. The article also presents potential solutions to the FOMO problem that can be used in prevention carried out by educators and psychologists. The groups that should be covered by psycho-prevention are youth and young adults.

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